The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of sending messages to a group of EPLs.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record.
The primary method of addressing an EPL is by its unique EPL identifier (unique addressing) or by a broadcast EPL identifier to which all EPLs respond (global addressing). Use of an item identification code, such as a price look-up (PLU) number is one type of unique addressing. Use of arbitrary numbers is another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,049 to Briechle discloses an additional addressing method called xe2x80x9csubglobal addressingxe2x80x9d, which allows messages to be sent to groups of EPLs in order to increase bandwidth and resolve collisions between EPL responses. However, this method adds cost to the EPLs because it requires additional registers with the EPLs for storing additional addresses. Also, each tag can only be in one group at a time. This patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
In order to obtain a competitive advantage, retailers must effectively market their products. A typical marketing strategy is to define groups of merchandise items to which the retailer can tailor its promotion and pricing policies.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of sending messages to a group of EPLs which automatically manages addressing of messages to EPLs as promotion and pricing policies for the group change. It would also be desirable to provide a system and method of sending messages to different groups of EPLs in which some EPLs may be in more than one group.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a system and method of sending messages to a group of electronic price labels (EPLs) is provided.
The system includes the group of EPLs, which is less than the total number of EPLs within a transaction establishment, and a computer which records a unique group identifier for a group of products associated with the EPLs, determines unique EPL identifiers for the group of EPLs from a table linking the unique group identifier to the unique EPL identifiers, and sends messages addressed to the unique EPL identifiers which contain identical information.
A method of sending messages to a group of electronic price labels (EPLs) less than a total number of EPLs within a transaction establishment includes the steps of determining a unique group identifier for the group, determining unique EPL identifiers for the group of EPLs from a table linking the unique group identifier to the unique EPL identifiers, and sending messages addressed to the unique EPL identifiers which contain identical information.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a system and method of sending messages to a group of EPLs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of sending messages to a group of EPLs associated with a predetermined group of merchandise items.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of sending messages to different groups of EPLs associated with predetermined different groups of merchandise items in which some EPLs may be in more than one group.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of addressing EPLs.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system and method of sending messages to a group of EPLs which automatically manages addressing of messages to EPLs as promotion and pricing policies for the group change.